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Beit Midrash
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Yonadav noticed that one of David’s younger sons, Avshalom, wanted to become king instead of Amnon, the oldest son, and Yonadav decided to help him. By helping undo the chance of David’s oldest son being king, Yonadav "paid back" David for skipping over his older brothers.
If we are right, we can further suggest that Yonadav even expected that due to the rape within David’s family, David’s reign might begin to develop "cracks." Such an act by an heir apparent, following the footsteps of the evil powerful men at the time between Adam and Noach (see Bereishit 6:2), would upset all senses of stability. This might even lead to such upheaval that Yonadav might fill the void, as a son of David’s brother, and seize the throne.
David received kingship, in part by fighting Goliat the Plishti, risking his life on behalf of Bnei Yisrael. Apparently, the sons of Shama were also fearless fighters on behalf of the nation. Indeed, we find Yonatan the son of Shama killing a giant Plishti (Divrei Hayamim I, 20:6-7).
There seem to be hints that the issue of rivalry between the families continued many generations later. The gemara (Ketubot 62b) tells that Rebbi (Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi) was a descendant of David, while his contemporary Rabbi Chiya was a descendant of Shama. In a different gemara (Horiyot 11b), we find Rebbe, the rabbinic leader of the community of Eretz Yisrael, asking Rabbi Chiya whether someone like him would be required to bring the type of korban reserved for a king. Rabbi Chiya suggested that this was not possible because there was a similar leader in Bavel, which meant that no one possessed sufficient dominion. Rebbi asked from the fact that at the time of the Kingdoms of Judea and Israel, both kings enjoyed the status of king regarding korbanot. Rabbi Chiya answered that those two kings were independent, as opposed to the nasi in Israel, who was subservient to the reish galuta, the Babylonian leader.
Rebbi and Rabbi Chiya lived well after the Beit Hamikdash was destroyed, in which case the question about the korbanot was moot. This theoretical question, though, was a way of dealing with the age-old question about the status of the dynasty of David. They went about it the right way, discussing pleasantly the halachic implications of the matter. In that way they fixed the bad action of Yonadav, who tried to uproot the standing of the House of David.
Let us pray to merit raising a generation of Torah scholars, who possess the ability to give in, who speak calmly, and in that way are disciples of Aharon, who loved peace and pursued peace.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
